Railroad car side end corner construction



July 2l, 1970 Filed Nov. 25, 1966 C. E. JOHANSSON RAILROAD CAR SIDE END CORNER CONSTRUCTION mnu- #Im-f--H-w-JWL 2 Sheets-Sheet l mi INVENTOR. CARL E. JOHANSSON ATTORNEYS July 21, -1970 c. E. JoHANssoN RAILROAD OAR SIDE END CORNER CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 25. 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mvEN'roR, CARL E. JOHANssoN l if.

A TTORNE YS United States Patent O Us. c1. s-409 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The railroad car side is fabricated from lightweight metal such as aluminum. The disclosure relates tothe corner connection between the side wall and the end wall of the railroad car. The side wall includes a side corner post connected to the side Wall and an end corner post connected to the end wall. The end post and side post each includes a portion which overlaps the other with the overlapping portions being disposed beneath the side plate which extends the entire length of the car. The overlapped portions is the point of connection between the end wall and the side wall thereby permitting subassembly of the end wall separate from the side wall. All of the component parts of the corner construction involve either flat sheets or extruded shapes requiring virtually no cutting or coping to subassemble and assemble.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to railroad cars, and more particularly, to the corner construction connecting the upper end of the side wall to the end wall of the car, and it is specifically directed to a construction employing a lightweight material such as aluminum.

The use of aluminum in railroad cars has the obvious advantage of reducing the car weight which thereby permits either a greater pay load or the use of additional special equipmenttto protect the lading without increasing the overall weight of the car. Aluminum, however, poses problems of fabrication which are distinct from the problems incurred in building railroad cars and doors from steel. Consequently, the use of aluminum in railroad cars has typically been piece-meal with Various components of the car being converted from steel to aluminum. For example, aluminum car doors are now being used and other aluminum components which can be used in a railroad car such as aluminum car ends are available.

Aluminum and other similar lightweight alloys often are fabricated by means of extruding. Since only certain shapes can be extruded, the type and shape of structures which can be used in a railroad car are somewhat restrictive. Moreover, because of the nature of aluminum and other lightweight alloys, it is desirable that each component be extruded to as nearly as possible the nal shape desired thereby eliminating undesirable cutting or coping operations.

This invention proposes an aluminum structure for a railroad car which includes the use of aluminum in connecting the car side wall withthe end wall. More particularly, the corner construction of this invention permits the subassembly of the end wall and the side Wall and the subsequent assembly of the two components without the necessity of cutting or coping either in the subassembly or assembly operations. Specifically, the invention contemplates an all aluminum construction including a side plate extending the entire length of the car and a side sheathing secured at its upper end to the side plate. A vertical side corner post is connected to the end of the side sheathing with the upper end of the post abutting the underside of the side plate. A vertically extending end cornerpost is adjacent to the end post and also abuts the underside of the side plate. The end corner post includes a iirst flange extending the vertical length of the post and to which the end wall is secured. The side corner post also includes a flange which overlaps a second flange on the end corner post with the overlapping flanges constituting the point of interconnection between the end wall and the side wall of the car. An angle is connected to the upper edge of the end sheathing with the ends of the angle being connected to the side plate.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partial side elevation of the corner construction comprising the instant invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end elevation view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a railway car side wall indicated generally by the reference numeral 10. All of the components of this side wall construction unless otherwise indicated are fabricated from a lightweight metal, preferably aluminum. The side wall includes a side plate 11 which is generally channel-shaped in configuration and includes a lower leg 11a and an upper leg 11b. The side plate 11 extends the entire length of the railroad car. Over a portion of the length of side plate 11 there is included a depending leg 12. Attached to the leg 12 as by welds is the side sheathing 13 which may be made of a single sheet of aluminum and which extends from the corner to the door area in the car side.

The end wall of the railroad car includes an end wall sheathing 20 which is attached at its upper edge by rivets 21 to a top angle member 22 and particularly the depending leg 23 thereof. The angle member has its upper edge in substantial alignment with the upper edge 11b of the side plate 11 and is abutted against the back surface of the side plate 11. The end wall further includes elongated channels 25 which extend horizontally across the end wall sheathing 20 to serve as reinforcements for the Wall.

The side wall is connected to the end wall by a cornposite of two extruded elements. The first is the vertically extending side corner post 30 which has one leg 31 secured by welds to the end of the depending leg 12 and the vertical edge of the side sheathing 13. The post 30 includes a second leg32 which extends substantially transverse to the plane of the side wall sheathing. The central portion of post30 is offset from but parallel to the plane of the side wall sheathing 13 for a purpose hereversely of the plane of the side wall 13 and which is generally parallel to the leg 32 on post 30. A second leg 43 intermediate the length of the corner post 40 projects transverse to the side wall in a direction opposite to that of leg 42. Like post 30, corner post 4i) together with leg 42 and a portion of leg 43 abuts the lower surface of leg 11a on side plate 11.

It is contemplated that side corner post 30 may be subassembled to the side sheathing 13 while end corner post 40 may be subassembled to the end wall 2l). This latter subassembly is accomplished by welding the vertical edge of end wall sheathing to the free end of leg 43. In addition, the reinforcing channels have one end in abutment with the corner post 40 thereby overlapping the leg 43 so that the channel may be secured as by welds to the corner post 40 and the leg 43. The two subassemblies consisting of the side wall and the end wall may then be interconnected by overlapping the end 41 of corner post 40 and the post 30 with means such as rivets 4S used to interconnect the two posts. The end of top angle member 22 is welded to the side plate 11 and the upper ends of posts and 40 likewise are welded to the side plate.

It is to be noted that the posts 30 and 40 are offset outwardly of the side wall so that the heads of rivets 45 do not project into the interior of the railroad car. In this manner the interior surface of the car side remains substantially flat and the rivets do not interfere with the lading carried in the car. The outer heads or rivets 45 may be covered by a cover plate 47 which is supported between leg 32 on end post 30 and leg 42 on corner post 40. The cover plate 47 rests against coplanar projections 48, 49 on legs 32 and 39 respectively.

The end wall construction also includes a cover plate 50 which is employed at the juncture of the top angle member 22, end sheathing 2() and the leg 43 on the corner post 40. Since it is impractical to design the corner post 40 with a leg which would extend up behind the side plate 11 into engagement with the leg 23 on angle member 22, a simple cover plate is employed to cover what would otherwise be an opening in the end wall. The cover plate 50 is welded to the leg 23 on angle 22 as well as to the leg 43, side sheathing 20 and side plate 11. By employing the cover plate 50 the necessity for coping or cutting any of the structural members comprising the corner construction is eliminated.

Each of the posts 30, 40 is essentially a vertically extending plate with legs projecting therefrom. The combination of the two plates 30, 40 together with legs 32, 42 and corner plate 47 forms a corner post which is a rectangular box shape in cross section and which provides a strong support for the walls and side plate.

I claim:

1. In a railroad car having a side wall and an end wall, a side plate secured to the upper edge of said side wall and a corner construction interconnecting said side wall and end wall, the improvement comprising:

said side plate extending the entire length of said car and having a lower surface thereon;

a vertically extending side corner post secured along its vertical length to said side wall;

a vertically extending end corner post secured along its vertical length to said end wall;

a portion of said side corner post being in engagement with a portion of said end corner post;

means interconnecting said portions of said posts;

the upper end of each of said posts being secured to the lower surface of said side plate.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said portions of said posts are spaced outwardly from the plane of said side wall.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said end wall is spaced from said side plate,

angle means secured to the upper edge of said end wall,

said angle means extending beyond said end wall and transverse to said side plate and being connected at one end to said side plate.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein the point of connection of said angle means to said side plate is spaced above the upper end of said end corner posts; and

plate means interconnecting said side plate, said end corner post, said angle means, and said end wall.

5. 'Ille combination of claim 1 wherein said end corner post comprises a first vertically extending plate means;

said plate means having a rst leg transverse to the plane thereof;

said first leg extending inwardly of the railroad car and being connected to said end wall;

said side corner post comprising second vertically extending plate means;

said second plate means including a leg parallel to and offset inwardly of said second plate means;

said latter-mentioned leg being connected to the adjacent edge of said side wall.

6. In a railroad car having a side wall, yan end wall, a side plate and a corner post fabricated from lightweight metal, the improvement comprising:

said side plate extending longitudinally beyond the end of said side wall;

said corner post being secured at its upper end to the lower surface of said side plate;

said corner post being generally box-shaped in cross section;

a first projecting leg on said corner post coplanar with said end wall, with the free end of said leg connected to the adjacent vertical edge of said end wall; `and a second leg projecting from said corner post coplanar with said side wall, with the free edge of said second leg connected to the adjacent vertical edge of said side wall.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said side plate includes a depending leg coplanar and coextensive with said side wall;

the upper edge of said side wall being connected to said depending leg.

8. The combination of claim 6 wherein the lower sur* face of said side plate comprisesy Aa leg extending generally transverse to the plane of the side wall;

said side plate leg overlying and closing the upper end of said corner post.

9. The combination of claim 6 wherein said end wall includes reinforcing means extending horizontally across said end wall;

the end of said reinforcing Imeans overlapping said first leg 'and being connected to said corner post.

10. The combination of claim` 9 wherein said end wall further includes angle means secured to the upper edge thereof;

the end of said angle means being transverse to said side plate and secured to said side plate.

11. In railroad car having a side wall and an end wall, Va side plate secured to the upper edge of said side wall and a corner construction interconnecting said side wall and end wall, the improvement comprising:

said side plate extending the entire length of said car and having a lower surface thereon;

a vertically extending end corner post secured along its vertical length to said end wall;

said end corner post comprising a first vertically extending plate means;

said plate means having a first leg transverse to the plane thereof;

said iirst leg extending inwardly of the railroad car land being connected to said end wall;

a vertically extending side corner post secured along its vertical length to said side wall;

said side corner post comprising second vertically extending plate means;

said second plate means including a leg parallel to and offset inwardly of said second plate means;

said latter mentioned leg being connected to the adjacent edge of -said side wall;

said dirst plate means including a second leg spaced from and extending in a direction opposite to said first leg;

said second plate means including a second leg parallel to and spaced from said second leg on said rst plate means;

a plate supported between said second legs and secured thereto with the upper edge of said plate being adjalo the upper ends of each of said posts being secured to the lower surface of said side plate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,291,536 7/ 1942 Ditchiield 105-409 2,529,641 11/ 1950 Torburn 10S-409 2,686,480 8/1954 Johansson 105-409 2,706,454 4/ 1955 Sleetnan et al 105--409 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner R. A. BERTSCH, Assistant Examiner 

